Sweatband construction



Sept. 9, 1969 P, ToplEL ETAL swEATBAND CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 10. 1966 .Im Y. MWA. E OTN. N T.. F Dn NS United States Patent O SWEATBAND CONSTRUCTION Pincus Topiel, New York, and Samuel Feldman,

Hewlett, N.Y., assignors to Atsons Products Corloration, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Filed Nov. 10, .1966, Ser. No. 593,366 Int. Cl. A42b I/22 U.S. Cl. 2-183 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sweatband construction having a pair of sections in hinged relation to each other; which sections may be selectively folded in face to face, double thickness relation to provide one headband size; or unfolded into laterally related, single thickness relation to provide another headband size.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved sweatband construction which may be manipulated to provide a single or double thickness of material yabout the headband of the hat or cap incorporating thef'same, to thereby selectively vary the headband size; in either case the sweatband lying smoothly so as to make for a comfortable head fitting in either headband size.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved sweatband construction which is readily and economically fabricated; is easily incorporated in hats or caps; and is readily manipulated by the wearer of the hat or cap to provide one of two selected head sizes."

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a hat incorporating the sweatband construction embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the sweatband construction;

FIG. 3 is a rear plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5, showing the sweatband in its folded, head size reducing position;

FIG. 7 is a partial elevational view showing-the label portion of the sweatband in its unfolded condition; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 7, showing the label portion when the sweatband is in its folded condition.

Essentially, the sweatband construction of the instant invention comprises a pair of sections hingedly connected together, to allow the sweatband to be used witli the sections unfolded and extended to provide one headband size; or folded to provide another, smaller headband size; and in both cases, the sections being highly conformable to the wearers head.

Thus, as shown in FIG. l, a hat incorporating the sweatband construction 10, generally indicated at H, includes a crown portion C and a brim portion B. The sweatband construction 10 is stitched to the juncture of the lower crown portion C' and brim portion B.

The sweatband construction 10 embodying the invention, comprises a pair of elongated, liexible, flat sections 11, 12; section 11 being somewhat narrower than section 12, but otherwise the sections 11, 12 are of similar construction. Thus, section 11 is made up of a narrow, soft felt strip 13 which is covered on one side thereof by a thin, bias cut fabric strip 14 having turned over edges 15 extending about the opposite side edges of felt strip 13, with stitching 16 to secure the same in place.

Section 12 is similar to 'section 11, being formed of a felt strip 13', somewhat wider then strip 13; which is covered on one side by a bias cut fabric strip 14 with turned over edges 15 and stitching 16 to secure the same in place.

The sections 11, 12 are hingedly connected together, by a thin, narrow bias cut fabric tape 17 having inturned edges. The tape 17 is secured to sections 11, 12 by stitch lines 16, 16 to bring the adjacent linear edges of said sections 11, 12 in close relation, as at 11A, 12A.

The sweatband construction 10 is stitched to hat H at the juncture of crown portion C' and brim B, by stitching 20; the opposite ends of construction 10 being stitched together to provide the continuous peripherally extending sweatband for hat H; with a vertical seam as at 21.

The hinged construction of sweatband 10 allows the sections 11, 12 thereof to be disposed in extended, single thickness relation, as shown in FIG. 5; or in folded, double thickness relation, as shown in FIG. 6. In the latter case, hat H will have a headband size smaller than that of the former case; thus allowing the sweatband 10 to be manipulated to selectively provide either of two headband sizes.

The sections 11, 12 are highly conformable so that in either extended or folded condition, the sweatband lies smoothly and comfortably in respect to the head of the wearer. It will be apparent, that in passing from the larger size of FIG. 5 to the smaller size of FIG. 6, the narrower section 11 may be readily and'easily flipped inwardly of the wider section 12. Also, the narrow section 11 may be just as easily unfolded to provide for extended, single thickness construction, as shown in FIG. 5.

It is understood that the felt strips 13, 13 may be replaced by strips of soft, resilient foam or other suitable materials having a desired softness and conformability. Also, fabric strips 14, 14 may be replaced by other materials, such as soft leather or the like, which are highly conformable.

A hat size label 25 is secured to the strip 14 of sweatband section 11, being located over seam 21 by stitching 26. Label 25 is marked on its opposite sides 27, 28 with successive sizes, e.g., 71A and 7%. When sweatband section 11 is in its extended position, FIG. 7, label 25 straddles the adjacent edges 11A, 12A of sections 11, 12, and thus shows the larger size, i.e., 7%.. When section 11 is tucked inwardly between section 12 and crown portion C to decrease the headband size, label 25 will be turned over to expose side 28 thereof and thus show the smaller headband size, i.e., 71/8, FIG. 8.

What is claimed is:

1. A sweatband comprising a pair of flat strip sections and flexible means for hingedly connecting adjacent edge portions of said sections throughout the longitudinal extent thereof, each of said sections comprising a strip of soft, porous material and a strip of highly conformable material covering one side and the opposite longitudinal edge portions of said strip of soft, porous material, whereby said band may be used with the sections in unfolded, laterally extended relation to each other or in folded, face to face relation to each other, said sections being disposed with their adjacent longitudinal edges in slightly spaced relation, said hinge means comprising a strip of stretchable fabric in spanning relation to the adjacent longitudinal edge of said sections.

2. A sweatband as in claim 1 wherein one of said sections has a uniform width less than the uniform width of the other section.

3. A sweatband as in claim 1 wherein said conformable material is fabric and said flexible hinge means is a bias woven fabric.

4. A sweatband as in claim 1 wherein said soft porous material is felt.

5. In a hat having a crown portion and provided with a sweatband, said sweatband comprising at least a headband having the bottom edge thereof secured inwardly of and along a line adjacent the base of said crown portion, said headband comprising a soft layer of material and abacking layer of material secured together, said headband being provided with means for folding the headband back upon itself along a continuous line, intermediate the top unsecured and bottom secured edges thereof to dispose a continuous downwardly folded portion of said headband in opposed relation to a lower portion of said crown portion to thereby reduce the headband size of the crown portion when said headband is in its folded condition, said means for folding the headband comprising stretchable fabric contiguous with the continuous fold line.

6. A sweatband as in claim 1 wherein said hinge means spans longitudinal marginal portions of said sections on the other side thereof, said hinge means comprising folded marginal side portions in contacting relation with said conformable material, and stitching securing marginal folded portions of said hinge means to marginal portions of said sections at the adjacent longitudinal edges thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 833,587 10/1906 Curtis 2-183 877,885 1/1908 Crampton 2-l82.8 1,364,669 1/1921 Winch. 2,406,701 8/'1946 Miller 2--183 2,820,226 1/1958 Topiel et al 2-l8l 3,280,406 10/1966 Immel 2-181 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner 

